A pair of George III Anglo-Indian ivory armchairs Murshidabad, circa 1780

with padded oval backs and padded serpentine drop-in seats, with moulded shaped arms on downswept supports on turned tapering legs headed  by carved paterae, the back legs now with castors, painted with leaves in green and gilt Vitruvian scrolls, both chairs stencilled to underside of rail L1671 AW

Warren Hastings, Governor-General of British India from 1773;
By family descent to General Sir Charles Imhoff, stepson of Warren Hastings, sold 23rd August 1853 (Second Day's Sale) at Daylesford House, either lot 272, 273 or 274;
Acquired at the Daylesford House sale by William Lowther, 2nd Earl Lonsdale (1787-1872);
By descent to Lancelot Edward Lowther, 6th Earl of Lonsdale (1867-1949); sold Lowther Castle house sale, 15th April 1947, lot 309A.
Acquired from the above by Frances Collier and subsequently sold to Ian Askew Esq.

These are in excellent condition. There is some characteristic wear to gilded and painted decoration throughout consistent with age and use. There are some cracks to the ivory again consistent with the material and construction and age. A rare and beautiful pair of chairs.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

These remarkable ivory chairs are almost certainly one of the three pairs of chairs offered on the second day of the 1853 sale at Daylesford, the home of Warren Hastings, former Governor-General of British India whom accumulated a wealth of ivory furniture. They were listed in the sale catalogue as lots 272-274;
'A PAIR OF VERY ELEGANT CABRIOLE SHAPED IVORY CHAIRS, delicately painted and gilt, the seats and backs stuffed in horse hair and covered in chintz'
The following two lots were listed as 'A pair ditto'.

The 2nd Earl Lonsdale was a significant buyer at this sale, he also acquired the remarkable carved suite most recently sold, Sotheby's London, 4 December 2013, lots 545-547. Interestingly the current chairs retain an identically stencilled inventory to the underside suggesting that until the mid 20th century these chairs were in the same collection. It seems however that the current chairs were not included in the Lowther Castle sale of 1947 as they do not appear in that catalogue so it is probable that they were purchased privately prior to the sale. 

The very English form of these chairs, in contrast to the elaborate earlier Indian designs, appear to have been conceived from the 1780s onwards and suggests a deep understanding of western furniture forms. It is most probable that the craftsmen were working from prototypes and pattern books and may have even been working under the guidance of a European furniture-maker. An ivory chair of english form is in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum, London and reproduced by Dr Amin Jaffer, Furniture from British India and Ceylon, London, 2001, p. 255, no. 85.